BANANA AND CHOCOLATE CAKE

There’s a whole lot of recipes which can be made with bananas. Cakes or breads are one of my favorite way of using this exotically perfumed fruit which has since long been integrated to our culinary habits and customs.

The gorgeous and bewitching aroma of bananas is perfectly blended together with the deep roundness of cocoa/chocolate in order to offer you this harmonious and flavorful cake.

This “BANANAS AND CHOCOLATE CAKE” is very fluffy, moist and delightfully aromatized by the bananas. And I really love it’s final warm taste of chocolate which adds even more character and soul to this cake.… May you be enthralled by it's lusciousness!!!

This recipe originally comes from the website www.southernfood.about.com. It was adapted and perfected by myself.

Ingredients:
125g Unsalted butter
270g Caster sugar or light brown sugar
2 Eggs (~50g)
300g Plain white flour
½ Tsp Baking soda
1 ¼ Tsp Baking powder
A pinch salt
½ Tsp Vanilla extract4 Cubes dark cooking chocolate (min. 44 % cocoa), melted and cooled
3 Ripe bananas, mashed
3 Tsp Cocoa
1 Tbs Dark rum (optional)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven on 180°C (350°F).
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a recipent.
3. In a bowl cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, into the butter mixture and mix well until blended.
5. Add the melted chocolate and stir well.
6. Sieve the flour mixture into the batter alternately with the mashed bananas until it is perfectly smooth.
7. Add the sieved cocoa and the rum.
8. Pour the batter into a greased cake tin of your choice and bake for about 40 minutes, until a thin skewer comes out free from the mixture when inserted into the thickest part of the cake.

Remarks:
When you add the eggs, beat thouroughly in order to get a smooth mixture.
If the batter is too thick, then add a little milk to it, but normally it should be wet enough.

Serving suggestions:
You can frost the cake with "CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING" if you wish. I ate it without frosting and it was very fine and tasty.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
According to The Australian Women’s Weekly “Quick-mix cakes” book.

Ingredients:
45g Unsalted butter
2 Tbs Water
55g Caster sugar
120g Icing sugar
2 Tbs Cocoa

Method:
1. Combine the butter, water and caster sugar in a small saucepan, stir over heat without boiling, until sugar is dissolved.
2. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into small heatproof bowl and gradually stir in hot butter mixture.
3. Cover and refregerate until thick.
4. Beat with wooden spoon until it is smooth and spreadable.

(Banana Chocolate Cake -Pic by www.rootsofcompassion.org)
(Banana Chocolate Cake -Pic by Rosa www.rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com)
(Chocolate -Pic by www.ucdavis.edu)
(Bananas -Pic by www.baycriscuisine.com)